34 
Irish A(/riculture. 
has been a natural process of consolidation going on lor several 
years, and is going on quietly at the present time, yet we must 
take into account that Ireland will show a preponderating number 
of comparatively small farms for many years to come. These 
farms, as we have seen, already form an important nursery of 
young stock, and if their capability in this respect could be 
increased, a great step would be gained. This can only be 
effected by better farm management ; that is, by the industry of 
the people being directed and employed in a more advantageous 
manner for themselves and the communit\- than has hitherto 
been done in most cases. 
About forty years ago, the late Mr. William Blacker held the 
agency, or stewardship, of the estates belonging to the Earl of 
Gosford and Colonel Close. . These estates are situated in the 
county of Armagh, which contained, and still contains, the largest 
proportion of small holdings of any county in Ireland. In order 
to afford the tenantry under his charge the opportunity of having 
their industry directed by greater knowledge than they them- 
selves possessed, Mr. Blacker devised a system of practical in- 
struction which was attended with the most satisfactory results. 
This consisted in employing experienced agriculturists to go 
from farm to farm, and to point out to the occupiers such 
improvements as might appear practicable, and as the particular 
circumstances of each farm required. The agriculturist showed 
where draining was recjuired, and superintended its performance; 
showed how the land was to be cleared of weeds, the very mean- 
ing of which the people did not at first understand ; pointed 
out how manure might be acquired ; how to grow root and 
forage crops: and showed how house-feeding the cattle, a most 
important matter on such farms, might be established. The 
agriculturist lived among the tenantry, went about among them 
from day to day ; talked to them familiarly as they worked in 
their fields, and discussed the operations they were engaged 
upon ; and gave in this way, to any tenant, practical information 
on any subject at the time it was required. 
The results of this system soon became manifest, and»in the 
space of three or four years after it had been fairly at work, Mr. 
Blacker reported that the great difhculty experienced by the 
tenants was, to procure cattle to consume the increased quantity 
of food which they found themselves possessed of; not, as pre- 
viously, to get food for the small number of animals then kept 
by them. In fact, it appears from the returns which were given 
by Mr. Blacker, that the increase of stock, chiefly cows, amounted 
to two hundred per cent., and in some instances it was even as 
high as four hundred per cent. 
Wlien tlie details and results of Mr. Blacker's svstem were laid 
